Agema Phalangitai (Hellenistic Elite Phalanx)
The phalangitai are the mainstay infantry of the Hellenistic kingdoms. They form the anvil of the two-part hammer and anvil in Makedonian warfare and excel in defense. Description Ho, basileus! Before you are your picked men of the phalanx. Whether they are veterans of many battles or military professionals, you can rely on them for their discipline and skill in the face of the enemy. Armed as phalangites, their gear is a step above the average man of the line. Equipped with greaves on both legs, metal-reinforced tube and yoke or metal cuirasses, elaborate helmets, and a larger diameter shield they are able to deploy with a wider frontage and can withstand enemies that have a deeper formation. When used well, they are the first and last men on the battlefield. Often deployed on the right in the position of honor, they are rewarded well for their service with land grants and generous pay. Their training gives them strength and endurance par excellence. And their gleaming shields and scarlet coats distinguish them on the field of battle. Sometimes referred to as peltastai, the agema of the phalanx have a tradition stretching back to the argyraspides (silver-shields) of Alexander's army. Those men were Makedonian military veterans of the anabasis and were often courted by the diadochoi for their military prowess. In battle they were a force of nature and able to withstand much greater numbers. After their forced retirement following Antigonos Monophthalamos' victory over Eumenes, the argyraspides disappear from history. But the tradition was set. When exactly the elite phalangites reappeared is difficult to say. Each of the major diadochoi seem to have developed their own corps. In most cases, the corps was made of Makedonians. For example, in Makedonia herself, the Antigonids used men described as being in the prime of their life. The exception to this was in Epeiros, where Pyrrhos drew upon the Chaonian tribe. They featured in his campaigns in Italy and Greece. In Ptolemaic Egypt, the agema were drawn from the more wealthy military settlers. These men had larger land grants and employed peasants to work their estates. Without the need to be personally present to work the farmlands, they were able to spend more time training and were available to fight at any time in the year. The Seleukids, not to be outdone by anyone, mixed two traditions together when they formed their own argyraspides corps. Numbering 10,000 men after the Achaemenid Immortals, these soldiers were drawn from across the Seleukid empire. It has been suggested that they were the sons of military settlers in the prime of their life rather than the land-owning settlers themselves. Although their exact tenure of service is unknown, they may have been military professionals as under Antiochos III they would have been on campaign for several years at a time. The argyraspides are hypothesized to have been formed of two strategiai of 4,000 men each of phalangites and two chiliarchies of 1,000 men each of hypaspistai. They accompanied the Seleukid kings on their many military campaigns throughout the history of the Seleukid empire. Finally, it is unclear when the Pontic Basileis first instated an Agema corp, a good candidate being Mithradates II, but such elite troops were definitely serving under Pharnakes I. Around 189 BCE, thanks to such professional guards, this Pontic Basileus adopted a policy of systematic and aggressive expansion. The whole southern coast of the Euxeinos Sea was conquered in a matter of few years and Pontos finally entered the grand political stage of the Hellenistic world. In the time of Mithridates VI, his own charisma brought over many persons from the old military colonies in Asia Minor to fight against the avaricious advance of Rome. They took the title chalkaspides (brazen-shields) from the old Makedonian regiments of the same name. Unfortunately, without proper support (or competent military leadership) their skill could not gain them victory during the wars with Rome. Category:Units Category:Units available only in EB2 Category:Makedonia Category:Epeiros Category:Arche Seleukeia Category:Ptolemaioi Category:Pontos